The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-08-13

dealt that chastity creature one ten
blow that sent her to the other end Of
the attic. She was made Of stout wire
and was somewhat similar In build to
those things on which costumes are ex-
hibited in dry goods stores.
| When my wife came home I said:
what in the name Of all the gods is
that thing doing in the attic"
What thing?"
THAT horrible sem lance to human
| ity made Of wire that has one Of your
dresses on"
| "Oh. that"
| YES that! What is that doing in
this house7 Are we going to start Q
millinery storep Is that to be ex.
hibited on the veranda with terms
cash on itP"
what were you doing in the attice"
Good gracious, why shouldn't I 90
into the atticP Mlghtn't l 60 a. far q
| to descend into the cellar il l wanted
TOP Don't the tax-gatherers and own
this houseP Can't = man 60 around
his own home without having the i'm.
mortal life scared out Of hima That
| indeed!'
Would il be believed that my awful
experience, instead Of being received
with sympathy, was greeted with
laughter? Such is the heartlessness
Of some people. l learned that there
is q diabolical factory in Detroit
where such fiendish shapes are made.
Probably many houses besides mine
have this skeleton, that some day the
lawful owners will stumble ON just
where they don't expect it. A woman
gets measured and has this wire shape
made. When the dressmaker comes
to the house the shape is used for all
the preliminary fitting, and so the lady
gets her double to act for her. very
much as the double Of Rev. Edward
Everett Hale did, except that instead
Of undoing her it nearly unhinges her
husbands mind every time he come.
suddenly on it. Every woman has her
spasms Of economy, and this shape en-.
ables her to do over old dresses and
make up cheap wrappers. On the
basis Of the fifty cents she saves, she
spends five dollars on something else.
I have never yet become ac-
customed to this frightful shape.
Whenever meet it. it sends
q thrill of terror through me. OF
course my wife knows where she leaves
it, and so it doesn't scare her. As my
fear was being constantly ridiculed J
thought would try an experiment.
One evening took the shape down
and set it up by the parlor window. II
was dressed in black. To heighten the
effect l put my hat on it.
With my better half I sat quietly
reading in the library; it was about
eleven o'clock at night and the house
was very quiet.
Suddenly ] looked up.
"What's the matter" was asked.
Hush! Lis'cu!"
why, what is that? Did You hear
any thing?"
"IMougM did. Very likely l was
mistaken"
"What did you think it was?"
'Oh, l guess it was Imagination. ]
thought l heard the parlor window
OPEN"
Nonsense. Who would open the
parlor window at this time of night?"
That's so. It's in the daytime that
people come in by parlor windows.
I Invent on with my reading and for
minute or two my wife did the same.
Then she picked up a small lamp and
marched bravely through the dining
room, across the hall, and into the par.
lor.
The next instant an appalling shrek
startled the echoes of the silent house
Eyes" l said, as followed her up,
''thats just the way it struck me.
Take any "shape" but that and my
firm nerves, etc., etc., etc."
"Oh, you wretch," she said, As she
sat gasping in the hall chair, and !
knew by her tone that would never
be forgiven for that little object lesson.
-Inks !Sbnrr in Detroit Free Prlss